I am going to brew a session strength Saison with O.G. of 1.045. I am using a French Saison yeast strain (3711) that is known to be a workhorse. It was shipped Tuesday and arrived today (Friday). I am sure that the ride in the delivery truck, especially to here in the south will do some damage. So I ordered two smack packs and 3 ice packs. I have ordered this way plenty times before and the pack always swells so I know there is some good yeast, just not 100%. My question is: I have heard that sometimes it is better to under pitch, especially with certain Belgian or German strains if you are really trying to make the yeast works harder which will help to develop their signature characteristic(s) even more. Is this true?If it is true, considering the style I am brewing, the O.G., & the yeast strain what would you do to get the profile correct? Pitch one or two packs? Or a starter (with one pack)? I would really prefer not doing a starter, but is that the better option in terms of profile and flavor characteristic development?Also the recommended temp for the yeast is 65-77 F. Would using a temp on or above the higher/lower range help to enhance the profile?Thanks

The (Asian) Blonde aka: "Love You Long Time" with the toasted sesame seeds, lemongrass and Sorachi Ace hops turned out nice. More lemongrass than sesame so I will have to adjust the recipe. No problem with head retention. I did crack the seeds and soak up some of the oils which could have helped the head retention but decrease the seed flavorI used about 1/3 of an ounce of lemon grass in the mash, 60 min in the boil, and dry hopped in the secondary.Then the same schedule with 1 tablespoon of sesame seed each time. I went with the rule of less is better - not to over power. But i think next time I am going to at least triple the sesame seed and try not to get rid of all of the oils. Probably drop the lemon grass a bit

Why sesame: Sort of an Asian flair with Lemongrass. And toasted sesame seeds smell and taste so good. I though just a mild background smell and subtle hint of taste would add a nice nuttiness and depth along with a balance to the lemongrass

I want to toast then add sesame seeds to a summer blond ale. I am looking for both aroma and tasteMore taste than aroma but neither one strong - just a mild enhancer/spice so to speak. I am not planning on doing an all-grain.My questions: For a 6g batch, how much, when (if into the boil) and how...as in: straight into the boil, steeping, or as a mini mash?

This might be an old question but I can't seem to figure out how to find a particular topic.There is always a lot of discussion about how to not transfer the hops from the boil kettle to the fermenter. People use whirlpool, screens, filters and so on. What is wrong with just using a bag or a large enough SS tea ball to put you hops in. This would eliminate the large percentage of what we all are trying to keep out of the primary. Is there a drop in utilization, hop bitterness or aroma?